BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, 26 March 2024 (The Department of Environment) – The Government of St Kitts and Nevis made a historic announcement to ban single-use plastics. The announcement was made during the sitting of National Assembly on Tuesday 26 March 2024 by the Minister of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke.

The implementation of the ban will be structured in three phases and will affect the importation, sale, and distribution of several items.

Phase 1 involves the ban on importation of T-shirt plastic shopping bags as of 31 December 2024. This will be followed by a ban on the sale and distribution of these bags by 31 March 2025.

Phase 2 involves a ban on the importation of Styrofoam food containers and plastic straws effective as of 30 April 2025. While the sale and distribution of the same items will be banned as of 31 July 2025.

The final Phase involves banning the importation of single-use plastic cups, plastic plates, and plastic utensils as of 31 August 2025, followed by a ban on the sale and distribution of the same products as of 30 November 2025.

Minister of Environment, Climate Action & Constituency Empowerment, Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke stated that the ban on single-use plastics is a decisive step towards the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting the natural environment and towards fostering a sustainable future for the twin-island nation.

The single-use plastic ban is part of the government’s commitment towards becoming a Sustainable Island State and which aligns with several of the United Nations’ Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

· SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being

· SDG 6 – Clean Water & Sanitation

· SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities

· SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

· SDG 13- Climate Action

· SDG 14 – Life below Water

· SDG 15 – Life on Land

The ban will serve to regulate the importation, sale and distribution of single-use plastics until the pending Environmental Protection Bill 2024 shortly titled Restriction on Single-Use-Plastic Bill, is passed.

St Kitts and Nevis will now join over 100 countries including at least 12 in the Caribbean, like Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and the Turks and Caicos Islands, to now have a full or partial ban on single-use plastics.